Elizabeth Montgomery: The portrait of a great soul
This biographical work takes an in-depth and multi-dimensional look at the life of Elizabeth Montgomery. This is fascinating story that includes her childhood, career, her children, and her work with numerous charities. This book is based on author’s exclusive interviews with her friends, co-stars, and studio archives. There are three books about Montgomery and two of them were written by author Herbie Pilato.
Elizabeth Montgomery placed too much emphasis on age, and perhaps ignored her own health issues. She died too young and cared for many issues; gave herself little credit for her artistic accomplishments; but devoted her privacy being a mother to her children. She was a liberal democrat, a strong supporter of gay and lesbian rights. But her father was staunch conservative. And the relationship with her famous father, Robert Montgomery was difficult and tumultuous. Elizabeth’s life has many parallels with Jane Fonda who also had a difficult relationship with her father, Henry Fonda, due to opposing political and social beliefs. But both women cared for issues and fought for it despite strong opposition. In 1986, Elizabeth Montgomery and Roddy McDowall were the first two celebrities to lend their support to benefit HIV/AIDS awareness. It was revealed by producer Doug Chapin that Elizabeth attended every event for the benefit until the time of her death. You wouldn’t see her at Hollywood parties, but you almost certainly see her at benefits. In 1991 her co-star Dick Sargent announced his homosexuality and asked Montgomery to be present as a co-Grand Marshall for the 1992 Gay Rights Parade in Los Angeles which she gladly did.
In 1977, Elizabeth starred in “A Killing Affair” a CBS TV movie with O.J. Simpson. They were portrayed as big city detectives who were partners on the street and at home. The two locked in a heated bedroom scene. Elizabeth rallied for additional steamy performance on the bed, but CBS was ready to pull the plug. But still what we saw in this movie was extremely racy, in all sense of the word. Montgomery wanted to do be honest in romantic stories and did not accept the race was coming in her way. She challenged the traditional thought of 1970s audience; her insistence on “A Killing Affair” further proved her attempts to push the creative envelop to make network television an educational platform. Sometimes her outspoken opinions in Hollywood did not help her win the Emmy Award.
In playing Samantha on Bewitched, Montgomery shared unique interplay with Dick York and Dick Sargent. Off screen she considered Sargent, a friend. Elizabeth had issues with York. She may have expressed her frustration with her real-life husband on her TV husband. To make matter worse, York was in love with Elizabeth. During the rest between filming, due to his severe back ailment, he would glance over Elizabeth ‘longingly.” He was really smitten with her, but Elizabeth, due to her personal problem with real husband, was not amused. In fact, she was outraged. Bewitched writer Doug Tibbles observed that Dick York was deeply affected with his back pain, and wanted to rest up in the summer of 1969, but due to his frequent absences from the set, he was replaced by Dick Sargent. However, Elizabeth and Dick York stuck gold with their on-screen chemistry in Bewitched.
Montgomery was not religious, but spiritual. Once she said, “I think God as the beauty of life. It is loving and being loved.” This enchanting woman, who bewitched us all on television, also suffered from colorectal cancer. Overpowered and racked with emotion, she lost the will to live. Her body literally gave away to the ravages of surgical procedures of the early 1990s.
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